In Sympathy

There's no season for sympathy cards and I used this one recently.  The border is a commercial paper and the white trim is a punch.  The foliage is stamped and the white flowers are little Primas.  The butterflies were a die cut.  Finishing touched are the little half pearls in the center of the flowers and the ribbon and bow.

Flowers in November

I know we are in December now but this pretty little flower was still blooming in mid-November thanks to the warm fall we've experienced.  I thought the coloring was so unique and pretty and I'm wondering how to get that look in a punched flower.  Colored pencils - that's  my best thought so far.

Santa

This trading card has a background paper that's slightly textured.  The music paper is from a 6 x 6" Christmas collection.  Santa is stamped and mounted on a scalloped metallic circle.  The text was stamped on a flag and I added just a few faux jewels.  The holly is punched.

It's All About The Kids

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS

More than 100 come together in December.  They are varied - some in leathers and some not; female and male; young and old.  There’s the burley, tough-looking group and the clean-

cut professional-looking crowd.  Many are wearing Santa hats.  Some ride alone.  Some have a passenger.  They are laughing and 

having a good time together.  And they are supporting a great cause - Toys For Tots.

The bikes are piled with stuffed animals, dolls and other toys.

Some have other festive touches like garland or miniature wreaths.

The chrome shines and the engines emit that typical motorcycle

roar.  Their presence is known and they are welcomed.

They pass through town as a group, two or three bikes abreast. 

There’s a police escort and intersections are cleared.  It’s well

organized and the riders are cheered.  They wave to the crowd.

Motorcyclists don’t always have a good reputation but in this case

they are revealing their tender, caring side and are making a 

totally awesome contribution!

Cookies!

It's time to bake cookies, one of my favorite activities of the holiday season.  I'll have at least twelve different kinds before Christmas arrives.  Freezers are a wonderful invention!

Ashcroft Size Large

This was the largest building in Ashcroft, at least among those that are remaining.  It had great detail at the roof and on top of the upper windows.  And it seemed to be in pretty good shape, too.

Ashcroft Again

A sign indicated that this was a private cabin and it appeared that someone actually stayed in it on occasion.  It seemed a little strange to find that in a ghost town but it was a beautiful setting and if I owned the cabin, I think you'd find me visiting it for overnight stays.

I painted it - in Photoshop Elements